Shaped iron or steel for automobile-frames.



No. 875,018. lPATE'NTED DEC. 31', 1907. E. c. P. VERSCHAVB.

SHAPED IRON 0R STEEL POR AUTOMOBILE FRAMES. APPLICATION FILEDAPR.2.1907.

\\\\\\\\\\\Y Il-Illllll 9 g f f v A g' UNITED STATES EDOUARD CHARLESFRANCOIS VERSCHAVE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SHAPED IRON OR STEEL FOR AUTOMOBILE-FRAMES.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

Application filed Apri 2, 1907- Serial No. 365.940-

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that L'EnoUARD CHARLES FnANcoIsVERscHAvE, a citizen of theRe ublic of France, residing in Paris, France, fiave invented certainnew and useful lImprovements in Shaped Iron or Steel Specially forManufacture of Frames of Automobile Vehicles, of which the following isa specification.

Heretofore in the manufacture of chassis for automobile vehicles weldedtubes have been employed, these tubes being provided in their interioror not with a transverse or cross-shaped stiffening, or the chassis havebeen made of pressed steel.

"Tubular chassis present the great advan- ,V j l. age of veryconsiderable strength, but on if `5 the other hand, owing to thecylindrical form of the tubes, it is somewhat difficult to make joints uon these tubes which are not liable to disp acement; it is for thisreason that chassis of reinforced wood are frequently preferred, orlatterly of course chassis of Twess'ed sheet steel. These latter,however, pi esent the great defect of -being wantingin rigidity, and ofundergoing very considerable deformations when they are not loaded in auniform manner, or when they are subjected to the shocks or strainswhich occur during the running of the vehicle. N ow these deformationsare certainly dangerous, for the reason that they strain the joints bywhich the parts are fixed to the j chassis, and may even produce'thebreakage of the xed and movable parts which conl stitute the backbone ofthe automobile mechanism, orat all events render them inoperative; forexample, the change speed gear shaft or the likemay be deflected. Themeans adopted by the applicant'for obviating these'defects is theconstruction of the chassis of shaped iron or steel, and the fitting tothese shaped parts of a vertical core, imparting to the longitudinal andtransverse members of the chassis, a far higher degree of rigidity inthe longitudinal vertical direction and in the transverse horizontaldirection. This core may be fitted in various ways which are hereinafterdescribed with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figures 1 -and Zillustrate one constructional form in cross section andside elevation. Figs. 3 and 4 represent further `forms of reinforcedshaped irons for forming chassis.

|turned over at right angles.

or stamped in such a manner as to give it a U-shaped form with a verylarge base Fig. 1, the arms a of which extend only as far as b; then aflat iron B which constitutes the core is arranged in place, the height.of this core being slightly greater than the hei ht .of the iron A;then on each side two sma larms c c are fitted,and these small arms areWelded .to the extremities of lthe core B, which are themselves weldedto the extremities of the arms a, this welding being autogenous forexample and effected by means of the blowpipe or of electricity. Inthisltype of arm it should be noted that tllevor hasits upperextremities interposedyhetween. the, eXtremi-v ties of the arms a and,{itisfto this that its great strength is due. Inorderlto rende'rfailA'i l iron obtained in this mannerllight'eiand'to facilitate theattachment-"of parts` to it, it.; may be provided with holes'C at applaces. An iron of the samejpro lemight also be obtained as shown inFig. 3 by drawing or stamping a U-shaped iron A, the. arms d of whichhave alength equal to the sum of line one with the other, plus thethicknessof f the core which is interposed in the preceding typ@- thislength a plus c, plusthe thickness in question may vary as desired.`Then between the opposite arms d d the vertical core B is inter osed atan appropriate distance from the Fottom A and its extremities are-Welded tothe said arms d d by 4means of the blow pipe or of electricity.

The typesof irons which have been given by Wayv ofexample may comprisearms whoseright'hand extremities, which are directed towards theinterior of the chassis, are This is the vcase for exam le with therofile represented .in Fig. 4, wiich is simi ar to the profile shown inFig. 1 and is manufactured 1n the same manner, but in which theextremities of the arms c are turned down at g which contributesftoimparting still greater rigidity to the iron. Y

Instead of providing a vertical core which extends throughout the entirelength of the iron, it ,may be sufficient to arrange flat irons of a,certain length' at intervals, leaving spaces of suflicient size betweenthem to permit of attaching the parts to be fixed to the chassis.

As will be understood in order to conl j In the first place a piece ofiron A is drawn i I. e

struct a chassis with the profiled irons ropriate, j

the lengths of the arms a and'c which' .are in f It will vof coursebe-understoodthat .Y

' adapted, for example they`may be employed which have just beendescribed, an elongated frame is formed, the extreme longitudinal ortransverse members being curved if necessary; this frame may comprise acertain number of stays likewise of profiled iron, these "differentparts being assembled one with the other by means of riveted plates orby autogenous welding or by any other appropriate means. It will ofcourse be understood that these proled irons may be utilized for anypurpose for which they are shaped iron provided with small arms, avertical core fitted against the said arms, the height of which isgreater than that of the U-shaped iron, and two small supplementaryWings in line with the arms of t e U so that the extremities of the coreare interposed between the extremities of the arms of the U and of thesaid wings, the parts being united by autogenous welding.

3. A metal structure com rising a U- shaped iron provided with sma larms, and a vertical core extendin from ,one to the other of said armsan united thereto by autogenousv welding, said arms being vextendedbeyond said'coie. and being integral and of uniform thickness throughouttheir width, the extremities of the extreme wings being turned down InWitness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 21st day of March1907, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDOUARD CHARLES FRANCOIS VERSCHAVE.

Witnesses:

JULES ARMENGAUD, Jeune, RENY ARMENGAUD.

